Cloth expander, cloth guider, and the like



E. FARRELL Sept.A 23, 1930.

CLOTH EXPANDER, CLOTH GUIER, AND THE?A LIKE Filed 001:. 29, 1929 'igor rodY j igo'rtrujnnions "being stationary,

Patented Sept. 23, 1930 i nnNnsT ran-BELL, OF SALFORD, ENGLAND f j VCLOTH nXrnNniin; CLOTH GUIDER, AND THE LIKE i .A ppliimajgnl. filed encheres, legaseriai 110.403,241, and in 'Great 'Britain Augusto, 1929.

i cloth guiders and the likeasl used in feeding "panders.. c f ,Y Y

' As 'hitherto made, such expanders have comprised a rigid,lnonrotatable curved bar passing continuously lthrough ,the length o'fgthe expander, ,and Ia rotatablerubber vsleeve or tube mounted onfsuch curved barl orrod so as to becapable of rotating yas 'i the rclothisv pulled over it, 'the barprojecting been heretofore known as ,curved bar ex-v Y 1&5 at v'each Venol beyond'the rubber-,sleeve to form i stationary trunn'ions, to be clamped 'against'A rotation in suitable brackets.

- The two maindrawbacks to expanders sov made are :V-`(z) cThat fthe central rod and the number of antiffri'ction bearings required between the rodV and sleeve'tobesulicient for amply supfk porting Vand ,allowing easy rotation of` the Vsleeveyhas addedgreatly to the initial Vcost `ofthe expander,andmoreover, such bear- V ings, having been'accessibleby the corrosive liquors with which-the cloth ilsjtreated, have Y addedy consideralzily toV the maintenance `cost @fthe exrandersend, (Il) thatthe curvature .i .39 of the expanderhas beenfixed andlunalter- Y able, owing to` the` rigidity Vof the fcentral ,barfr .l

has its object expand ers j Wlleh Vbearings' required for the rubber sleeve, or by when usech lgfrom.. the corrosivel action fof)V the l1qu0rs,and/or :by providing aereas@oneanemona@improved '1-exrahderomrres eisers@ :rubber Sleeve aroundthe;core,andtrunnionsfconnected to y and.exteednabeyendtheeide 0f the Sleeve, "1 thesleeve'and trunnions being adapted to rotateftogether, Vand ,bearings Ato receive the yf.

' 'trunnions YThe .corevslmaybe flexible, and

v5 etc., and vrelates `in yparticular to what have kcordingto one form` ,i removethe above-mentioned and other draw `acl's, by reducingthe number of f meins teven'. thecurvature birth@ expanden i adjustable to yhold the trunnions in alternatlve angular positions, to vary the curvature ofthe bar,v Whilst at the same time permitting of theirrotation. p I. VUpon the accompanying drawing z- Fig. l is asectional longitudinal elevation of onehalf of the yimproved expander, acfv of the invention.` Y Fig. 2 is a like view to Fig. )l,.butillustrating a' modifiedy forni of the improvedexpander. ,Y Y I F igs.` 3, L and 5are part sectional views, to a larger scale, of further modifiediorms of the invention, and

Fig. Gis apart sectional view further modiiication.V .i In the example of the yinvention-illustrated lnF ig. l, the improved expander comprises theiiexible 'core @,'in the formof a spiral spring` ofiiat section, 'the rubber sleeve b aroundthe core, andtrunnions c rconnected bythe enlarged part kc1 to the sleeve, and

of -a 1still 1,if-UMTEDLSTATES PATENT OFFICE:

bearings Z to receive` and hold the trunnions Whilst allowing of 'their rotation.y The spring core a is, connected to the enlarged part 0,1 of the end trunnions c by intermediate plugs al', thefparts being sweated together In ythis example, no bearings are'required ,Withln-the expander, the core sleeve andtrunmons rotating as awhole, and as a result the .resistance torotationis much less than in known curved expanders. y i The curvature Ior are of the expander is variable the core a being flexible, and to hold Vhe expander in any set position the bearings Z are made adjustable.` Each bearing comprises the stationary partd with'clain'pand if desired pinned Valso `as show'n in Fig. Y l.V i

ing cap, and a movable huby part e,`the lat` tern-having a bulbouscentre to oscillate ina spherical socket Otpthev` part d, part also carrying anti-friction bearings to'y receive the' end ofV the rtrunnions and form the bearingsproper for the expander. By moving'the bearings d towards or away from eachother, the bow' ofthe expander is ins creased'or decreased, and a predetermined curvature having been obtained, the caps `oi the bearings d are clamped downto hold the parts e in the set position Withoutail'ecting the movable.f 'i

' prevent the i damaging the bearings.

n'iembercomprising the coil spring; h, theV spring in this instance being in sections longitudinally. Between the sectionsand con-l necting them together are annular bearing rings z",

being carried by the inner non-rotatable`part Vof the core. The rings z' are of a diameter equal to the internal sleeve" and have a flange at each side of smaller diameter to receive they spring sections, the spring also being of a diameter equal to the internal diameter 'of the rubber sleeve. 'The anti-friction bearings are vheld against endwise movement in the rings by internal,flangesi'1 in the latter and pins 2.

Thetrunnions in this construction 'forni the end bearing rings, the anti-friction bear-Y ings being housed in the cup-shaped enlarged partv ofthe trunnion. Between all the biejar-v ings on the rod g are spacing ymembers j', and

on the ends vof the rod are nuts 7c servingto'- clamp the spacing m'enfibers'land bea-ring rings together. pander are securedr Vcorrosive liquors through to they interior of the expander andv With this. construction `lof expander, number of bearings for the rubber sleeve is i small,'owingy to the flexiblesupporting mein- V bers, andto the fact that .the trunnions' of' the expander are free to rotate. i5

ffies a further modification theinner'n'iem' ber ginay bean articulatedrod asshown: in- Fig. 3,'in lieu` of a one piece rod'. Further, if desired,hollow rubber tubes m may take @i the place of the'spring sections Infas illustrated inllig.r 4Q v y y,

l rrgain, the trunnions c may be in two parts,

i connected bya universal joint,see Fig.. 6..

Q vThe inner member gef the core inthe lastdescribed:examplesis ,al completely enclosedl floatingY element, positioned against ,rotation by the angularity of its ends andvbyftheend bearings, the o'utersleeve with .the end=trun-v f nions being free to rotate in the'V supporting bearings.

.',Tlie rubber sleeve maj7 be' either parallele be ofdouble cone sided, as shown, or may formation, i. e.,'tapering outwards `from the centre tothe ends,-l the amount of taper being onlyslig'ht. The resultant ysmaller diameter hub part being each ring 'carrying the outer race" of an anti-friction bearing, the inner race diameter of the rubber .rotate together, trunnions, as set forth.y i i 5. A,V curved clotlrexpander comprisingv a Overtlieends`of the ex-y f plates orv flanges Z, to. creepingk member imaesa at the centre tends to prevent bowing of the cloth at the centre.v

/Vhat I claim is:-

1. A Vcurved cloth expander comprising a core, a rubber sleeve around said' core,end trunnions connected to yandextending beyondthe ends of the sleeve, the sleeve and' trunlnions being adapted to rotate together, and bearings to receive the trunnions, as setforth. Q.' A curved cloth .expander comprising aj flexible core, arubbe'rsleeve around said flexible core., end trunnionseonnected to and extendingbeyond the ends vof the sleeve, the .sleeve and trunnions ,beingI adapted to -rotate together, and bearings to receive the trunmons, asset forth."

A `cui-ved eloth'jexpander comprising a' saidY flexflexible core, a' rubber vsleevearound with, the

ible core, en'dtrunnions integra1 flexible core and extending beyondthe, ends the sleeve, trunnions and corey of thelsleev'e',

being adapted to rotate together, and rbearings-"to, i'eceivethe trunnions asset vforth.

t. J:"f'curved cloth expander comprising a flexible core in the form' of a coilfspring, aj

rubber sleeve around said flexible-core, end trunnions integralfwith the flexible, oore and extending beyond the ends of the sleeve, the sleeve, i

core, a 'rubber sleeve around said'- core, end

trunnions connected to and: extending `beyond the ends of the4 sleeve, the' sleeve.` and ltrunni'ons being adapted to -rotate'tolgethen and x bearingsftof receive the -trunnions*andhol-df them, whilst p ermitting of -rotatiOm-jin altere native angular positions` to vary the curva-k turef of the expander, asset forth.^-

65A' curvedcloth expander comprisinga*` ,Y .flexible core consisting of a hollow resilient" rotatableouter member andan inner non-re-k i silient and non-rotatable supporting member,

an'dj spacedbearings between; the rotatable-and"l 'non-rotatable core members a rubber vsleeve- `trunnions and core beingAl adapted tov andy bearings to receiveLthe ico around said core; end trunnions connectedtoj the sleeve, andto the rotatable core member,

.ing together asv afpunitgf and .bearings toire'- ceive theV trunnions, ,the` nonrotatable @core n providing the'requifred shapev of the ,Y 'expandenassetforth. f I 1 7; Acurved cloth expander comprising-a fiexible corefconsisting of ra' hollowv resilient rotatable outer member and an inner nonree silient and non-rotatable articulatedfsupport ing men'ib'er, and spaced bearin'gsfbetwe'enfthe rotatable and nnfrotatable-coremembers n rubber sleeve around said core; end trunnions connected ,to the sleeve,jand*to'the rotatable core member,

izoy

the triinnions, sleeve 'and corev member rotating -togetheras a unit; and-ad'f justable bearingsftoA receiver the-trunnions; j

the nonrotatable bearings, in'Vl` conjunction All* Withvthe artioulated'core member, providing the requiredshape ofthe expander, as set forth. Y f v Y 8. A eurved cloth expander Comprising a flexible core, Consisting of akseotional hollow resilient rotatable outer member, an inner Y- non-resilient and non-rotatable articulated nie'mber, anti-friction bearings on the inner member connecting and supporting the seci tionsof the outer member, spacing members l between the bearings, and Clamping means on e the ends ofthe inner member to secure the .anti-friction bearings and spacing members thereon; a rubber sleeve surroundin the said core; end trunnions connected to t Y eV sleeve and rotatable oore member, the trunnlons, sleeve and core member rotatlng togetheras 'a unit; and adjustable bearings to reoeivethe trunnlons, as set forth. Y

e 9.V A curved cloth expander as claimed in claim 6in Whiohthe anti-friction bearings fortln e, Y v l0. A curved cloth expander asclaimed in Claim@ in which the kend trunnions have a cup-shaped part toV fit Within the end of the rubber sleeve,

anti-friction bearings in the cup-shaped part for the end of the Core, and

' an end plate Vcovering the jointfbetween the sleeve and trunnion, as setfforth. VIn testimony whereof I have signed my name to thisr specification.V

ERNEST FARRELL.Y 

